The present invention relates to a project management systems and methods, and in particular, to systems and methods that may be used for project planning, task management, time management, and other similar applications.
People typically expend a tremendous amount of time and energy organizing and tracking various undertakings such as projects or tasks. The need to manage projects and track related tasks has resulted in a number of solutions. One conventional solution involves using a linear calendar. Simple schedules may be digitized and automated in the form of a personal digital assistant, which automatically issues reminders and may be synchronized through a computer system with schedules of other individuals.
Other techniques used in project and task management include either bottom-up or top-down approaches. In bottom-up planning, all of the tasks required for a project are listed. Then, all the individual tasks may be compiled, categorized, coordinated and prioritized until the scheduling is complete. In top-down planning, goals are divided into major tasks, which are in turn continuously broken down into smaller tasks until the tasks are manageable. In either case, project and task management systems are useful in planning and managing the execution of tasks associated with a project.
At the complex end of the spectrum there exists many project and task management computer software systems. Such programs automate and assist the management of resources for various tasks and continually update the status of a project. For enhanced visual comprehension by the users, such programs often display the projects as timelines. Well-known examples include PERT charts and Gantt charts. Such display methods permit a project to be visualized.
A problem with such conventional solutions is that they show tasks spread out in a linear fashion. Presenting the tasks can take up many separate pages and can require a large physical area to visualize the whole project. For example, PERT and Gantt charts are linear, and if a project is long or complex, the project will span many pages, whether on a computer screen or on a printout. Accordingly, the conventional solutions are difficult or impossible for a user to comprehend the current status of a project at a glance, especially a long or complex project.
Furthermore, the conventional solutions typically have a “left to right” focus where the end date can be continuously extended as the project hits delays. However, many projects do not have the flexibility of allowing for changes in the end date. Contractors or product developers, for example, can lose money if they do not finish on time. Often, events such as weddings, conferences, and many other projects cannot be rescheduled without great difficulty, cost, or sacrifice.
Thus, there is a need for improved systems and methods for managing projects and tasks. The techniques should be simple, conceptually intuitive, efficient, and cost effective. The present invention addresses such a need with innovative systems and methods that may be used to manage projects and tasks.